


My Name Is James

by TheAngelThyla



Series: New Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow [4]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, James and the Giant Peach - Freeform, Music, My Name Is James - song, Nightmares, Sad, Self-Comfort, Short One Shot, Singing, Song Lyrics, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-04
Updated: 2014-12-04
Packaged: 2018-02-28 04:06:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2718188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAngelThyla/pseuds/TheAngelThyla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James wakes from a nightmare and remembers what his mother taught him to do.<br/> Set Pre-Story sometime after the events of "Bloody Wings"</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Name Is James

**Author's Note:**

> I have a mild obsession with "James and the Giant Peach" and had this headcanon that James would love it, too. (A brave little boy who goes on adventures with the same name? Heck yeah!)  
> So just imagine that James has always had nightmares (it's actually pretty common for little kids) and after watching the movie, Natasha realized that the song calmed him down. So when he was older and the nightmares continued (albeit, changing into different fears) even when he went to Xavier's, he remembered it...  
> (Sorry for the long notes that don't really do anything other than annoy you. I'll try not to do it again)

James burst from his covers, tears streaming from his face and chest heaving.  
Blinking in the darkness, he slowly registered his surroundings and took a deep breath.  
 _Safe,_ he tried to remind himself. Xavier's school was safe.  
The nightmare that always plagued him when he was away from home echoed in his mind, ruthlessly scratching at the cage he tried to lock it in.  
Shadows of men taking him away from his home, chaining him to a wall as they rip his wings from his back, his parents being executed in front of him. Isn't that what they did in some places?  
James hugged his knees, placing his forehead on them and breathing shakily.  
 _What do we do when we're afraid, James?_ his mother's voice echoed in his head.  
James slowly began to hum out the soft, lilting tune his mother taught him; the humming slowly forming into words.  
"My name is James," his voice shook and was wet with his tears. "That's what mother called me. My name is James, so it's always been."  
He laid back on the bed, turning to his side and clutching his pillow.  
"Sometimes I forget when I'm lonely or afraid," the memories of his nightmare slowly faded with every word. "Then I'll go inside my head and look for James."  
The young mutant continued to sing, imagining a place where he wouldn't have to be afraid of who he was, of people who would welcome him and love him for his "deformity."  
As James sang the last few notes, his eyes drooped closed; his final thoughts being that maybe he wouldn't be alone and afraid forever.

**Author's Note:**

> Please send in ideas? I really want to flesh out backstories so if you guys have headcanons at all, let me know. I'll write one-shots for the ones that fit.


End file.
